Opening an e-Mail in my inbox titled “SA Nuclear Plan to go ahead” yesterday afternoon was really came as no surprise as it really has been quite a long time coming following the court case won by the anti-nuclear activists. That court case was always just a delay tactic and it was only a matter of time before the mention of Thyspunt would again raise its head and no doubt the ire of many in St Francis and Jeffreys Bay.

The court case was only about the procurement process that had been rushed through Parliament rather than whether the nuclear build would go ahead or not. It was never going to happen that Eskom was going to ditch nuclear in favour of renewable energy and their recent reluctance to sign off agreements with wind and solar projects was warning enough that nothing had changed their mind about the way forward with nuclear and probably Thyspunt in particular.

The ANC has far too much at stake to not see Thyspunt proceed for there are sure to be some cadres who have been promised lucrative pay-outs by way of either supply contracts or if not legitimate contracts, then certainly through well-earned backhanders for supporting Zuma and the ANC. And let us not ignore the huge tracts of land that Eskom owns in the proximity of the proposed nuclear power station. It was purchased for a reason.

The anti-Thyspunt activists will have had time to catch their breath knowing it was only a matter of time before they again have to man the battlements. Whether they have used this breathing space to see how many more “bumps” they can put in the road and possibly even find a “pothole” or two only time will tell.

No doubt the gloves will be off as the bell rings for what could well be the start of the “Mayweather / McGregor” of nuclear bouts.